Tullow reports dry well in Ethiopia

7/14/2014

Tullow reports dry well in Ethiopia

LONDON -- Tullow Oil has announced that the Gardim-1 exploration well, drilled on the eastern flank of the Chew Bahir basin in the South Omo license, onshore Ethiopia, has reached a total depth of 2,468 m in basement, without encountering commercial oil.

The well intersected lacustrine and volcanic formations, similar to those found in the Shimela-1 well on the north-western flank of the basin. Minor intervals with thermogenic gas shows were intersected just above basement. The well will be plugged and abandoned and drilling operations will now be demobilized whilst these results are integrated into the regional basin model.

Meanwhile seismic interpretation continues on independent prospectivity elsewhere in the license and the next phase of the company's Ethiopia exploration campaign will target those prospects.

“We have now drilled two independent wildcat wells in the Chew Bahir basin, neither of which encountered commercial oil. Whilst our analysis continues, initial indications suggest that the targeted seismic anomalies related to lavas that flowed into a lake basin. Having gained valuable data, including evidence of thermogenic gas, we look forward to the next phase of our exploration campaign in Ethiopia,” said Angus McCoss, Tullow's Exploration Director.